Jerusalem Advances Plan for 3,400 New Homes Beyond Green Line Ahead of Elections

With less than three months until Israel's national elections, the Jerusalem Municipality is fast-tracking three major housing projects beyond the Green Line, totaling approximately 3,400 new residential units. These plans, located in the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Umm Tuba, Umm Lisan, and Gilo, are at various stages of approval and have sparked controversy due to their timing and potential impact on the city's demographic and political landscape.

The first project, "Nofei Rachel," was submitted for public review on August 7 and proposes about 650 housing units on 27 dunams at the entrance to Umm Tuba. This plan is promoted by Australian businessman Kevin Behrmeister, known for supporting Jewish settlement activity in East Jerusalem. Notably, the plan allows buildings up to 14 stories high, contrasting with the usual four-story limit for Palestinian construction in the area, highlighting disparities in urban planning policies.

The second plan, approved for submission in early July, involves around 450 units in the heart of Umm Lisan. After private developers failed to meet regional planning committee requirements, the Jerusalem Municipality itself joined as an official partner to advance the project. This marks a precedent as the municipality becomes directly involved in developing a new Israeli neighborhood within a predominantly Palestinian area.

The largest initiative is the expansion of the Gilo neighborhood, proposing over 2,300 new homes on approximately 195 dunams. According to the NGO Ir Amim, this expansion, combined with developments in Givat Hamatos and Har Homa, could significantly increase the separation between East Jerusalem and Bethlehem as well as southern West Bank areas. Part of the land for this project was reportedly expropriated from Palestinian owners under the Absentee Property Law to facilitate Israeli construction.

Ir Amim researcher Aviv Tatarsky emphasized the political implications, stating that "just before the elections, the government is promoting a series of settlement plans with dramatic consequences for Jerusalem's future. Although the government may be nearing its end, it is working vigorously to create irreversible facts on the ground." Supporters on the right view these construction efforts as reinforcing Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. The rapid advancement of these projects is expected to make East Jerusalem construction a central issue in the upcoming election campaign.